Hi Gordon...

I read your post right after you posted it but wanted to think about what you were asking before I responded.

> Taylor,

> First, I was born and raised in a land that
> does not - at least until very recently when
> a newsreader called someone a
> Chinese-Australian - add heritage/race onto
> nationality, I don't understand it.

> WHY do you call yourself an
> African-American? (and why do any and all
> races and nationalities feel the need to do
> the same - Irish-American, Asian-American,
> etc.)

Hmmmmmm...here in the US everything is known by a lable-unfortunately. Everything you fill out asks questoins pertaining to one's race, and sometimes oyur religion too. You become conditioned to speaking of yourself and even seeing yourself as this label applies.

> And, when do you decide to use a
> race-specific add-on as opposed to a more
> country-specific add-on?

Excellent question...I don't have an answer for it though.

> For example: Asian-American vs
> Japanese-American.

> (I've never heard anyone call themselves a
> European-American)

> To my simple Australian mind, if you are
> born in a country that country is your
> nationality. So if you are born in the USA
> you are an American. Plain & simple.

I agree, but here it gets further defined.

> If you are born elsewhere and migrate to
> American, you are the nationality of the
> place you were born UNTIIL you revoke that
> and change your citizenship. So if you are
> Japanese and migrate to the USA, you remain
> Japanese until you become an American
> citizen - taking the oath and all that is
> required.

> At what point does this self-labeling end?
> How many mixed generations does it take
> before someone decides they are no longer a
> part of their label? Half cast? Quarter
> cast? One eight cast. One sixteenth cast?

Well, for me it ends today, thanks to you. I am going to try to make every effort to simply be a human being.

> Does it extend to states? Could I be a
> Texan-Californian? HA!

> And what does the child of an
> African-American and an Asian-American call
> themselves? African-Asian-American? And what
> if that child marries an Irish-American
> (Irish-African-Asian-American)?

> And with such a push to NOT be placed
> (lumped) into groups, WHY do it yourself by
> adding these labels?

Because of my ignorance.

> If I migrated to America, would I be called
> an Australian-American?

Nope, you would be called a foreigner.

> And doesn't this self-labeling keep you a
> 'minority' in your own mind?

Actually, I have never felt like a minority because of the world scene.

Respectfully Too,

Taylor Trump

> I ask these questions because I truly don't
> understand this. It baffles me. I have asked
> before, but no one was actually able to
> answer WHY hyphenated nationality/race
> terminology is used. Perhaps, this time,
> someone can educate me about this American
> 'habit' I don't understand.

> Respectfully,

> Michael Ross.




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